Window-blind holder.



J. J. LEISER.

WINDOW BLIND HOLDER.

APPLIUATION FILED 00114, 1908.

mm May 2, 1911.

PATENT JACOB J. LEISER, OF EAST SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

WINDOW-BLIND HOLDER.

scones.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1911.

Application filed October 14, 1908. Serial No. 457,729.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AOOB J. LEISER, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Window-Blind Holder, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in window blind holders, such as are used most frequently in car windows, in which clamps or guides on the ends of an operating rod at the bottom of the blind or curtain fit into guideways in the window frame to guide the blind and to hold it at any desired altitude.

The objects of my invention are to overcome certain objections to similar devices now in use and to improve upon certain parts of such devices.

Most, if not all, window blind holders of this general character are necessarily operated by upward or downward pressure at the exact center of the operating rod, pressure at any other point on the rod either wedging the guides or clamps in the guideways, so as to prevent the raising or lowering of the blind or lifting one end of the operating rod with its guide or clamp e11- tirely out of its guide-way. My invention overcomes this objection by providing a secondary operating rod which projects from the operating rod proper and may extend nearly across the entire face of the blind. Upward or downward pressure at any point on this secondary rod will move both clampguides equally and simultaneously in the guide-ways at both sides of the window opening. The user instinctively pushes up on the projecting rod, when he wishes to raise the blind, and pushes down on the projecting rod, when he wishes to lower the blind. These instinctive actions accomplish his purpose. The operating rod in my invention is simply a solid steel rod, is therefore practically indestructible, cannot get out of order, and is by far the most inexpensive device possible to employ as an operating rod in a window blind of this nature.

My objects I attain by the mechanism illustrated by the accompanying drawings, similar letters referring to similar parts throughout the several views.

In said drawings :--Figure l is a perspective view of a window with window shade on roller and my improved shade holder attached thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view of one end of the preferred form of guide clamp and operating rod, the guide clamp being shown in its expanded or open position; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the guide clamp compressed; Fig. 1 is a side view of the expanded guide clamp; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but having the guide clamp compressed; Fig. 6 is a side view of a modified form of the invention; and Fig. 7 is a detail View showing the arrangement of the rollers in the clamp.

A, shown in each of the figures in the drawing, is the operating rod, preferably of metal, and passing through the hem of the window shade E, in Fig. 1. Its ends are flattened ovally, forming cams H that actuate guide-clamps, as hereafter described.

B is a secondary operating rod shown in Figs. 1 and 3. It is attached to the operating rod, and normally projects from the face of the window shade E, Fig. 1, at a right angle.

C is a guide clamp, shown in all the figures of my drawing, to hold a window shade in position and to aid in its adjustments to various positions. It is preferably a single spring metal plate bent into quadrangular form, the ends of the plates perforated and overlappng, as shown best in Fig. 4.

D, D, in Fig. 1, are guide ways formed by parting strips or by grooves in the window frame; these guide ways being of a proper width to firmly hold the guide clamps when locked therein.

F, in Figs. 2 and 3, is a washer securing the guide clamp on the end of the operating rod.

G, in Figs. 2, 3 and 4c, shows the perforated ends of the guide clamp C. These perforations are out of alinement normally, as shown in Fig. l, and are brought opposite by the rotation of the axis of the operating rod which penetrates them, as best shown in Fig. 5.

H is the flattened axis or end of the operating rod A. It is flattened ovally, thereby forming a cam which passes through the apertures in the overlapping ends of the guide clamp. This cam by its rotative movement effected by pressure upon the secondary operating rod actuates the guide clamp in the guide way. As shown in Fig. 4 the broad diameter of the cam H is upright to the guide clamp and the opposing rims of the apertures rest against its narrow sides. This allows the guide clamp to normally dist-end and clamp itself in the guide way. By rotation of the cam II, as in Fig. 5, the opposing rims of the apertures are separated with the result that the side walls of the clamp are brought closer together and free movement of the clamp in the guide-way is permitted. The action of the operating rod is reversible; by pressing upward upon the secondary operating rod, rotation of the operating rod and raising the shade is secured. Likewise, by pulling down, I secure the same action and lower the shade.

In Fig. 6, the modified form of this invention, only the inner overlapping end of the guide clamp is perforated for the penetration of the flattened axis of the operating rod, the other end being penetrated by a pivot in the end of the axis passing through and riveted.

As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 and in detail in Fig. 7, rollers, K, K may be used to diminish the friction in moving through the guide ways. The diameter of these rollers must be somewhat greater than the width of the clamp in its contracted position, but somewhat less than the width of the groove in the sash.

I claim:

1. In window shade holders, a guide-clamp consisting of a piece of resilient metal bent into substantially rectangular form, and having overlapping ends perforated with apertures, and formed to fit into and to oper ate in, a guide-way or groove of a window frame, all as substantially herein set forth.

2. In window shade holders, the combination of two similar rectangularly bent, resilient guide-clamps having overlapping ends and provided with apertures, a guideway for each guide clamp, an operating rod having flattened ends which operate in such apertures and a secondary operating rod attached to and projecting from such operating rod, all substantially as set forth.

3. In window-shade holders, in combination with a guide-way, a resilient clamp having overlapping ends, perforated with apertures, and normally locked in its guide way by its own resiliency, a rotatable operating rod having flattened axes, each axis penetrating an aperture in a guide-clamp to operate the same and as herein set forth.

4. The combination in windowshade holders of resilient clamps with perforated overlapping ends, operating in guide ways, of a rotatable operating rod having flattened axes that penetrate the perforations in the ends of the clamps and under rotation engage the walls of the perforations and cause the perforations to'overlap to a greater extent, thus compressing the clamps and loosening their grip, and a secondary rod projecting from such operating rod as the mechanical means of producing the actuating force, all as substantially set forth.

5. In window-shade holders, the combination of two' similar rectangularly bent resilient guide-clamps having overlapping ends and provided with apertures, a guide way for each guide-clamp, an operating rod having flattened ends which operate in such apertures, and a secondary oscillating rod rigidly fixed to the operating rod, which upon pressure upward or downward at any point actuates said operating rod forcing it, with the guide-clamp attached thereto, to move in the guide way of the window frame in the direction of pressure, all substantially as herein set forth. 1

6. In a window-shade holder, the combination of a guide-clamp comprising friction devices having resilient means for keeping them separated, with an operating rod having means in engagement with such friction devices, constructed to cause such devices to approach each other upon rotation of the rod on its axis ineither direction.

7. In a window-shade holder, thecombination of a guide-clamp comprising friction devices having resilient means for keeping them separated, with an operating rod having means in engagement with such friction devices, constructed tocause such devices to approach'each other upon rotation of the rod on its axis.

8. In a window-shade holder, the combination of a guide-clamp consisting of a piece of resilient metal bent to form two normally separated friction plates, an operating rod, and means-connecting the rod and the plates constructed and arranged tocause said plates to approach each other upon rotation of the rod on its axis in either direction.

9. In window shade holders, the combination with a frame having guide-ways therein, resilient guide devices arranged to frictionally engage the guide way, rotatable operating means and connections between said means and the resilient devices for causing release of the frictional engagement upon rotation of said means.

10. A holding fixture for spring actuated shades comprising. resilient friction-holding guide devices adapted to engage the side walls of grooves in a window frame, an operating rod, and means for releasing the devices upon rotation of the rod.

11. A curtain fixture comprising a spring actuated shade, a rod in the lower end of the curtain, resilient friction-holding ride devices on the ends of the rod and a apted to engage the side walls of grooves in a window frame, a handle-bar secured to and extending longitudinally of said rod, and means for releasing the frictional engagement upon rotation of the rod on its axis.

Walls of grooves in a frame, and rotatable 12. A holding fixture for spring actuated In testimony whereof I aflix my signature shades comprising resilient friction holding in presence of two Witnesses.

guide devices adapted to engage the side JACOB J. LEISER' operating means and means for releasing Witnesses: the sand devlces upon rotatlon of said oper- CLARK OURRAN KELLOGG, ating means. CHARLES FOUNTLEROY WHITTLESEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

